Classic 100 - the final concert

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This concert features the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Northey, and four soloists, including past winners of the Young Performer's Award.

Written by ABC Classic FM

5. Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No 2

Kristian Chong, piano

Premiered in Moscow in 1901 with the composer playing piano and his cousin, Alexander Siloti, conducting.

"Music drenched in romanticism but with forward looking harmonies and dissonances. The original uber-rubato and sometimes schmaltzy aesthetic is perhaps somewhat out of style with musicians these days, but audiences lap it up when it's played well. It's distinctly Russian music, but even more distinctly Rachmaninov. I've conducted it before with Amir Farid as soloist, and Kristian Chong and I have known each since our uni days at the Melbourne Conservatorium, so it's a real treat to work with them." - Benjamin Northey

4. Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending

Ji Won Kim, violin

Premiered in London in 1921, conducted by Adrian Boult. A review from The Times famously said, "It showed supreme disregard for the ways of today or yesterday. It dreamed itself along."

"The ethereal quality of this work is very demanding on the soloist. It's so fragile that you need a very poetic and accurate player to make it float as it should. Ji-Won Kim is such a player. People love the simplicity of the pentatonic based solo lines and the rich pastoral accompaniment. Strangely, for such a popular work, this is the first time I've conducted the Lark." - Benjamin Northey

3. Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue

Simon Tedeschi, piano

Premiered 1924 in a concert called "An Experiment in Modern Music" in New York, with Gershwin playing the piano.

"I listened to Bernstein conducting this work with the New York Philharmonic a lot when I was a kid. The opening is the most famous clarinet line in history. As soon as you hear the soaring smear of sound, the listener is transported to Gershwin's bluesy New York. Originally for a jazz band, the Rhapsody is a timeless masterpiece. I've performed it before with Simon Tedeschi and really admire his interpretation." - Benjamin Northey

"I must admit I was surprised by this and thought it would be somewhere between 10 and 20. Again, British music at its most powerful and evocative. The most famous movements are Jupiter and Mars but tonight we play Mercury. I'm not really a huge fan of this piece, mainly as I feel its a bit passe now, but audiences still flock to hear it live and it lends itself well to multimedia concerts with footage of planets. It's very cinematic music." - Benjamin Northey

1. Elgar - Cello Concerto

Premiered in 1919 with the London Symphony Orchestra, labelled a disaster due to the limited rehearsal time Elgar had with the orchestra.

Pei-Jee Ng, cello

"Like most people, I was introduced to this work through the Jacqueline Dupre's recording with Barenboim conducting. It tugs at the heart strings of those with a soft spot for Elgar's unique style of British romanticism. The coda of the work sounds like someone not wanting to let go, it's deeply moving when interpreted sensitively." - Benjamin Northey